Device for raising sunken submarine vessels.



H. ARONSEN.

DEVICE FOR RAISING summ SUBMARINE VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1911. 1,030,701 J Patented June 25, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. uuuuu IA mmocnlmh co., wnsumd'rok. o. 'c.

Jzhlfiianflrahsem I H. ARONSEN. DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SUBMARINE -VESSBLS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.16, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

3 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

.1 .1 III H. ARONSEN. DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SUBMARINE VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 16, 1911.

r 1 030 701 Patented June 25,1912.

i 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

f A i .41

mwwto'o;

%ibwmeo: Mdah fransen HALFDAN ARONSEN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN SUBMARINE VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 25, 1912.

Application filed December 16, 1911. Serial No. 666,088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HALFDAN ARoNsEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Raising Sunken Submarine Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to rescuing devices for vessels, and more particularly to the class of devices for raising sunken submarine or other vessels.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character in which a sunken submarine or other vessel may be conveniently and quickly raised to the water surface, the device being so mounted in the submarine or other vessel that it may be readily let out therefrom, whereby a wrecking steamer will be able to locate the exact position of the sunken boat or vessel, and at the same time afford a grappling means whereby the said boat or vessel may be easily and quickly lifted to the surface of the water, irrespective of whether or not its crew be alive.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character in which, 011 the sinking of a vessel in deep water, there may be let out therefrom a suitable buoyant body to the water surface, so that a rescuing or wrecking steamer may connect a coupling element to the line of the buoyant element or body, so that said coupling element may be engaged with the sunken boat or vessel, and through the medium of hoisting devices upon the wrecking steamer the said sunken boat or vessel may be quickly and conveniently raised to the surface of the water, without requiring the assistance of divers for this purpose, and

irrespective of whether or not the crew be alive upon the sunken vessel.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and efficient in operation, and inexpensive in manufacture, and also one that may be readily and conveniently mounted on different vessels for use when at sea.

lVith these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and

pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sunken vessel and a wrecking steamer, one of the devices on the front of the vessel being let out, while the other device is shown with its buoyant element removed and its coupling element connected with the sunken vessel, so that the grappling mechanism upon the wrecking steamer may lift the sunken vessel. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view through the sunken vessel, showing one of the devices in normal position, the same being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a similar view, looking toward one end of the device. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing one of the devices partially let out from the sunken vessel. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the coupling element. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the sunken vessel with the buoyant element in normal position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1O designates the hull of a sunken vessel of the submarine type, and 11 the wrecking steamer which is of the ordinary wellknown construct-ion, the same being afloat upon a body of water, while the hull of the steamer 10 is at the bed of said body of water, whereby the device for raising the said steamer and the manner of operation may be clearly shown and hereinafter described.

At the fore and aft portion of the sunken vessel, in the top of its hull, are provided concaved pockets or sockets forming seats 12, in which are removably fitted hollow buoyant bodies 13, the same being correspondingly shaped to the sockets or pocket-s 12, so as to fit tightly therein, the sockets or pockets 12 being provided with inner and outer resilient gaskets 14 and 15, so that when the buoyant bodies 13 are resting within the seats 12, there will be no possibility of leakage of water therebetween. Each pocket or socket 12 is formed with a central opening 16, below which is arranged locking mechanism, presently described.

Secured to and depending from eachcentral opening 16 therein, are angle bars 17 having vertical bearing portions 18, the inner end edges of which are beveled in downwardly diverging relation to each other, the bearings being in alinement with each other and support swinging locking pawls 19, which are connected thereto by means of pivots 20, whereby the pawls may be moved into engagementwith a coupling element presently described.

Mounted centrally in each of the buoyant bodies 13 is a vertical bolt member 21 terminating at opposite ends in eyes 22, in which are loosely connected rings 23,the bolt member 21 being secured to the buoyant body 13 in any suitable manner to prevent displacement therein, and to one of these rings is connected a cable 2 1, the same being trained over guide pulleys 25 journaled in a block or frame 26, the latter being fixedly mounted in any suitable manner below the central opening 16 in the pocket or socket 12 within the hull 10 of the vessel, the opposite end of the cable 24 being secured to a windlass or drum 27, on which is adapted to be wound and unwound the said cable. This drum 27 is fixed to an axle 28 join-naled in suitable bearings mounted within. the hull 10 of the vessel. At one end of the Windlass 27 and secured to its axle 28 is a cog gear 29 meshing with a cog pinion 30 fixed to a rotatable shaft 31 suitably journaled within the hull 10 of the vessel, and at one end of the shaft is fixed a hand crank 32, so that when the same is manually operated the cable 26L may be unwound from or wound upon the windlass 27, and when the cable is unwound therefrom the buoyant body 13 will be let out to the surface of the water, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so that the wrecking steamer 11 may observe the buoyant body 13 upon the surface of the water, thereby locating the exact spot where the vessel has sunken, so that the same may be rescued or raised to the surface of the water, in a manner presently described.

Connected to the locking dogs or pawls 19, at their free ends, are operating arms 33, by means of pivots 34, the said arms be ing formed with depending hook-like extensions which are adapted to lock with T heads 36 formed at the upper ends of vertical standards or posts 37 rising from the bottom of the hull 10 of the vessel and fixed thereto in any suitable manner. The arms 33, at their outer ends, are upwardly curved and formed with recesses 38, in which work cams 39 fixed to the turning shafts 40, the latter being journaled in the bearings 18 and are provided with hand cranks 41, whereby they may be turned for operating the cams, so that the hook-like extensions 35, and the locking dogs or pawls 19 may be retracted in unison for the disengagement of the locking dogs or pawls 19 from the coupling element and the hook-like extensions 35 from the T heads 36 of the standards 37, thereby permitting the releasing of the coupling element, presently described.

The coupling element comprises a tapering cylindrical body 4:2 having formed at one end a pear shaped head 43 while near the opposite end of the body 12 is provided a recess 43, into which projects the shank 44 of an eye 15, the shank 44; being swiveled in the body 42 and carries at its inner end a nut 16 securely connecting it to the said. body 12.

Formed longitudinally in the body 12 of the coupling element is a bore 5 7, the latter opening into the recess at its inner end and at its outer end through the pear shaped head 43, and into this bore 17 is adapted to be passed the cable 2-1, when the same is disconnected from the float body 13, the cable being knotted, as at 18, within the recess 13, when it is connected to the body 12, so that there will be no possibility of the cable pulling from the coupling element. \V hen the cable is wound upon the windlass 27, the body 12 of the coupling element will be pulled downwardly through the recess 16 in the pocket or socket 12 and engaged by the locking pawls or dogs 19, thus securely fastening the same, and to the eye 415 is adapted to be connected a hoisting cable 49 of any suitable hoisting device car ried upon the wrecking steamer 11, so that upon operation of the hoisting device, the vessel 10 may be raised to the surface of the water. It is of course to be understood that the coupling elements are carried by the wrecking steamer and are only connected to the cable 24L when the latter is disconnected from the float 13, after the same has been let out from the vessel 10 to the surface of the water. Thus, in this manner, the hoisting cable 19 may be readily connected to the eye 15, whereupon the crew within the vessel 10 may cause the lowering of the cou pling element into locking engagement with the pawls or dogs 19 on the winding of the cable 2 1 upon the Windlass 27, thereby securing the body 42 of the coupling element fast in the hull of the vessel, so that it may be readily and conveniently raised to the water surface.

The operating arms 33 are formed with laterally extending lugs 50 which are journaled in slidable blocks 51 mounted in elongated guideways 52, formed in the bearings 18, so as to positively guide the arms when being operated upon by the cams 39.

Working against the locking pawls or dogs 19 are spring members which latter are suitably mounted upon the bearings 18 and are designed to bring the pawls or dogs 19 to normal position after being retracted by the operating arms 33, so that the said dogs or pawls will be in the path of the coupling element for locking engagement therewith when lowered into the pocket or seat 11, and through the opening 16 cent-rally therein.

Entirely inclosing the mechanism for locking the coupling element is a casing 5a, the walls of which are preferably of glass, so that said mechanism may be visible by the crew within the hull 1.0 of the vessel, itbeing understood of course that the operating crank handles for said mechanism are ar ranged exteriorly of the casing 5t, whereby they may be manually manipulated by the crew for letting out the buoyant bodies 13 and hauling in the coupling elements.

In operation, assuming that the vessel 10 has sunken to the bed of a deep water stream and that its crew is alive, the buoyant body 13 is let out to the water surface, so that the wrecking steamer 11, when passing, will observe the same, whereupon its crew will raise the buoyant body 13 into the steamer and the cable 24 will be detached therefrom. Then the said cable is passed through the bore at? in the body of the coupling element 42, and if the crew in the vessel 10 be alive, they will cause the cable 2% to be hauled in, which will bring the body of the coupling element- 42 into locked engagement with the locking pawls or dogs 19. However, prior to this, the hoisting cable 49 of the hoisting mechanism upon the wrecking steamer 11 will be connected to the eve 45 of the shank 44 swiveled to the body at? of the coupling element, so that when the latter is made fast in the hull 10 of the vessel and said hoisting mechanism is brought into action, the said vessel 10 may be lifted to the water surface in a ready and convenient manner. Now, should the crew in the hull 10 of the sunken vessel be dead, after letting out the buoyant bodies 13, the latter are detached by the crew of the wrecking steamer from the cables 24:, whence the lat-- ter will be passed through the bores in the bodies 1 2 of the coupling elements and connected with the lines upon the wrecking steamer, whereupon the hoisting cables 1-9 are connected with the eyes 45 of the shank swiveled in the bodies 42 of the coupling elements, and by the weight of the latter, the same will gravitate downwardly upon the cables 24: and become locked by the look ing pawls or dogs 19 to the hull 10 of the vessel, whence the same may be readily and easily raised to the surface of the water by the wrecking steamer.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a vessel having a counter-seat formed in its deck and also having an opening centrally of said counter seat, of a wrecking device comprising a buoyant element normally engaged in the counter seat, winding and unwinding means located within the vessel and having a let out cable connected with said buoyant element, catch devices pivotally mounted in the vessel on opposite sides of the opening in the counter seat, standards rising from the bottom of the vessel and having T- shaped heads, hook-like extensions formed on the catches and engageable with the T shaped heads of the standard, manually operated cam devices engaging said catches for moving the same to engaging or releasing position, and a coupling element engageable with said cable on the detachment of the buoyant element therefrom and adapted to be guided by said cable through the opening in the counter seat for automatic engagement of the catch devices therewith, whereby said coupling element will be locked in the vessel.

2. The combination with a vessel having a. counter seat formed in its deck and also having an opening centrally of said counter seat, of a wrecking device comprising a buoyant element normally engaged in the counter seat, winding and unwinding means located within the vessel and having a let out cable connected with said buoyant element, catch devices pivotally mounted in the vessel on opposite sides of the opening in the counter seat, standards rising from the bottom of the vessel and having T-shaped heads, hook-like extensions formed on the catches and engageable with the T-shaped heads of the standard, manually operated cam devices engaging said catches for moving the same to engaging or releasing position, a coupling element engageable with said cable on the detachment of the buoyant element therefrom and adapted to be guided by said cable through the opening in the counter seat for automatic engagement of the catch devices therewith, whereby said coupling element will be locked in the vessel, and means on the coupling element for permitting a hoisting device to be connected therewith.

3. The combination with a vessel having a counter seat formed in its deck and also having an opening centrally of said counter seat, of a wrecking device comprising a buoyant element normally engaged in the counter seat, winding and unwinding means located within the vessel and having a let out cable connected with said buoyant element, catch devices pivotally mounted in the vessel on opposite sides of the opening in the counter seat, standards rising from the bottom of the vessel and having T- shaped heads, hook-like extensions formed on the catches and engageable with the T- shaped heads of the standard, manually operated cam devices engaging said catches for moving the same to engaging or releasing position, a coupling element engageable with said cable 011 the detachmentof the buoyant element therefrom and adapted to be guided by said cable through the opening in the counter seat for automatic engagement of the catch devices therewith, whereby said coupling element will be locked in the vessel, means on the coupling element for permitting a hoisting device to be connected therewith, and a water tight box closing connection between the opening and the interior of the vessel.

4:. The combination with a vessel. having a counter seat formed in its deck and also having an opening centrally of said counter seat of a wreckin device com arisin a buoyant element normally engaged in the counter seat, winding and unwinding means located within the vessel and having a let out cable connected with said buoyant element, catch devices pivot-ally mounted in the vessel on opposite sides of the opening in the counter seat, standards rising from the bottom of the vessel and having T-shaped heads, hook-like extensions formed on the catches and engageable with the Tshaped heads of the standard, manually operated cam devices engaging said catches for moving the same to engaging or releasing po sition, a coupling element engageable with said cable on the detachment of the buoyant element therefrom and adapted to be guided by said cable through the opening in the counter seat for automatic engagc ment of: the catch devices therewith, whereby said coupling element will be locked in the vessel, means on the coupling element for permitting a hoisting device to be connected therewith, a water tight box closing connection between the opening and the interior ot the vessel, and spring means acting upon the catch devices to normally sustain the same in position for automatic engagement with the coupling element.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HALFDAN ARONSEN.

Witnesses J OHN P. MoGmscon, FRANK Annnnsou.

(Jopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

